Long Road to Mercy: 1 (Atlee Pine Thriller)

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Further, the writing throughout "Long Road to Mercy" is taut with intrigue and suspense so much so that I could only, with much difficulty, put it down to take care of other pressing needs, such as make a pot of coffee and the like. Notorious serial killer Daniel James Tor, was caught and convicted of other murders, and while there’s no proof, Atlee believes he knows what happened to Mercy. They also have some traumatic past (either from being in the military or Navy or some childhood trauma) that is the reason for them living on their own with zero personal belongings other than clothes and their guns and being determined to never forge relationships.

It started off well in the first chapter but became a big mess that was devoid of any tension but chockful of all possible action-thriller tropes possible. So, there’s more political manoeuvring and game playing than I guess I was expecting but I really liked Atlee. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide.

Baldacci suggests a romance might be developing between Atlee and Sam which I think could improve the series. Be it thrillers, holiday heartwarming stories, or something with political implications, Baldacci usually knows how to convey his point through well-developed novels. She is convinced that convicted serial killer, 57 year old Daniel James Tor, was responsible for taking Mercy, and although Tor's patterns of behaviour make this a possibility, there is no proof. The opening set-up, which was also well-telegraphed in the title, and then even the mysterious death of a mule in the Grand Canyon promised a lot here but it all got side-tracked into a totally absurd conspiracy plot where each plot twist was more unbelievable than what came before. Since the beginning of the story takes place in the Grand Canyon, there are descriptions of what it looks like.

I also liked the burgeoning relationship between her and Carol and am keen to see how both characters grow and their partnership develops. There are two black characters, but one is just a guy we meet in the gym and who we don’t even know his name, and another guy who is only a taxi driver. LONG ROAD TO MERCY strikes all the right chords: a perfect blend of action, secrets, and conspiracies--all combined with Baldacci's trademark sizzle. The plot: It was really well-woven, introducing the reader to unknown ideas that could very well be real (some aspects may or may not be based in reality, in fact – I didn’t check).

Her pursuit of this case led her into some extremely dicey and dangerous situations that revealed a lot about Atlee, how she thinks, reacts and reasons. Her interest is further piqued when she realises that the missing individual works for a company that does not exist. Despite having an almost unique female lead in Atlee, and a 60-year old female side-kick, this is not one of Baldacci's best.

Those around Atlee Pine help support her and strengthen the story in their own way, as the reader pushes through this series debut. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around November 13, 2018.

David Baldacci introduces a new lead character – FBI Agent Atlee Pine – in the first of a series dedicated to her.